With the 20th pick, San Antonio tabs…James Anderson

For the third year in a row the San Antonio Spurs bucked their own historical trend and combed college basketball for immediate help, forgoing their usual European draft and stash routine to nab Oklahoma State’s James Anderson.

The Spurs have to feel really lucky here. Anderson is a very solid player and a dynamic scorer who can shoot and get to the line. He reminds me of James Harden, who went No. 3 in the draft last year. The Spurs always seem to find value in the draft and here’s a good example. Anderson won’t be a superstar, but he can come in and play right away.

James Anderson should come in and fill in one of the Spurs biggest needs right away (shooting) while he adapts to the San Antonio Spurs defensive schemes. In a worst case scenario, he should be able to immediately replace last season’s Roger Mason Jr. and Keith Bogans production at a fraction of the price.

Another useful wrinkle, according to Draftexpress.com, Anderson also provides a knowledgeable and capable pick and roll wing, an important skill given the Spurs pick and roll dominant offensive sets.

James Andersonwas nothing short of spectacular last season, and it shows here. His 1.07 overall PPP ranks second amongst all players, as do his 20 possessions used per-game. He was above the PPP every in every situation except for guarded catch and shoot situations, and has more experience running the pick and roll (2.9 Pos/G) than any other player on our rankings. High usage/high-efficiency players are extremely difficult to come by, and NBA teams may want to ponder if theyâ€™re missing the boat on Anderson due to the fact that he has not been spectacular in workouts. The same thing happened last year withMarcus Thornton.

Between James Anderson, Alonzo Gee, Malik Hairston and Garrett Temple, the San Antonio Spurs would seemingly have at least one rotation quality wing player and a healthy stockpile of talent for Austin.

@lvmainman – I believe Richards was still rehabbing his injured shoulder at the time, so he probably didn’t want to aggrevate the injury with one of the more pointless measurements in pre-draft camp. At any rate, this guy’s a stretch big, not a low-post player – that’s how people are assessing him anyway.

I actually never heard about Bobby Jones but he does sound like a solid player. Is he a FA or does he need to be bought out from his Euro club?

Ian

Oh never mind – he seems to be a free agent. He could possibly try out at the SL perhaps?

Jim Henderson

The following is another trade proposal. I want to preface it by asking you to not focus in on getting “stars” back in return. We have enough stars already, for now. The most important thing for us to do is fill critical, specific needs with solid/quality talent, particularly when the deal encompasses salary dumping, and not giving “stars” away in the deal. And remember, virtually ALL deals are far from perfect. With that said, and imploring you to keep an open mind, here’s one proposed deal to carefully consider:

RJ (SF), Hairston (SG/SF), & (PG/SG)Temple

to Portland for

Pryzbilla (C), Gomes (SF), & Bayless (Combo).

I think Portland’s owner is wanting to trim back on salaries. I believe he thinks that they’re paying too much at the center position (over 21 million), and thus wants to get a jump on dumping Pryzbilla’s expiring contract of about 6.9 mil., and with Camby there, he’s become expendable. In addition, they just agreed to absorb Gomes 3.9 million three-year deal from the Wolves for the ability to dump Webster’s 4.3 million 3-year deal, but more importantly, to gain the opportunity to snag Babbitt (the 16th pick). As with Pryzbilla, Gomes is extraneous in Portland (they got to SF’s back for one), and not that cheap, since they’re locked in with Batum, and hopefully with Babbitt over the long-term. RJ would give them a one-year rental of upgraded talent, allow them to get significant cap relief in 2011, upgrades their talent at the “small-ball” PF, and of course provides them with the size/experience necessary to most effectively compliment Batum/Babbitt for one year while they continue to develop. Hairston gives them a young, gritty defender on the wing to draw on, deep in the rotation, and Temple has the ability to give them length defensively as a back-up to Miller at the point (& can fill in a SG, along with draft pick Elliot Williams), and their rookie PG draft pick, Armon Johnson (34th pick), gives them a speedy & developing penetrate & dish type of guy. If the Blazers balk at either Hairston or Temple, offer them a future draft pick. By the way, in this deal, we’re absorbing about 10 mil. in salary beyond 2010. The Blazers are losing that 10 million off their cap beyond 2010.

We get one of the better back-up centers in the league in Pryzbilla. He’s far from spectacular, but he does what we need: gives us size (7’1″), not too old (30), plays excellent position “D” in the paint, a more than adequate shot-blocker (2.3 per 36 min.), and is a very solid rebounder. Gomes is not a spectacular guy, but he is a versatile, hard-working, competent player that gives us solid position “D”, size, and relative youth (27) at the SF spot, and can even play PF in small-ball sets. While he’s not a great 3-point shooter, he does consistently nail it at about a 37% clip (e.g., Battier is at 38.5%). Bayless gives us one of those more & more common “combo” guards that can play the point & SG, which would allow us to employ maximum flexibility in our rotations. He’s a very solid, YOUNG player to add to our guard rotation, along with Manu, TP, & Hill.

so our big situation is still in question. buford says that he is happy with our “stable of big”. i guess our “in-stable” guys (dice, blair, duncan) and our “out-stable” guys (bonner, mahinmi, splitter), are all solid options to choose from. i would imagine we will look no further than these guys to fill out our frontcourt unless we look for some D-league talent.

i also think whatever funds we have left will be geared towards a veteran shooter.

jim, or anyone. what are the chances we trade tony to make another free agent aquisition? what are your opinions on the gee, temple, hairston, mahinmi situation in regaurds to the draft?

Jim Henderson

Update: Trade Proposal With Blazers

I forgot that Przybilla’s knee injury could still be a lingering problem because he re-injured earlier this year. Have to take that into account I guess!

Jim Henderson

rj
June 25th, 2010 at 2:29 pm

“…..buford says that he is happy with our â€œstable of bigâ€”

RC is not going to come out and make an announcement that he’s unhappy with our “stable of bigs”. GM’s are part politician. I’m sure you realize that.

“…….our â€œout-stableâ€ guys (bonner, mahinmi, splitter), are all solid options to choose from. i would imagine we will look no further than these guys to fill out our frontcourt unless we look for some D-league talent.”

All I can say is, if you think that the above strategy is going to allow us to contend for a title, you’re smoking some pretty potent stuff.

“jim, or anyone. what are the chances we trade tony to make another free agent aquisition?”

Not good, but I hope we’re carefully & aggressively looking at all of the possibilities in this regard, as well as potential deals for RJ and/or Manu.

“what are your opinions on the gee, temple, hairston, mahinmi situation in regaurds to the draft?”

It means that one of the SG/SF’s will not make the team. And at present, it also means that Mahinmi is still hanging on by the skin of his teeth.

td4life

Jim–
Przybilla may be done playing altogether, but I don’t see this proposal happening from either end.
I don’t think the Spurs would spend that much to get a nice backup, who isn’t likely to make you dramatically better, and could really be regrettable if he gets hurt again. Just the same, I don’t see Portland parting with him for RJ. They aren’t that concerned with cap space, they do want elite talent however… they are actually willing to take back more salary if if makes them contenders, and the whole organization thinks that they are close, they are committed. They consider LA their #1 enemy, and only rival… they have been burned with Greg Oden’s medical woes, and will keep all their bigs to contend if one goes down. They would consider trading some of their Bigs for a major talent, but not for space, nor for depth. Portland media widely reported that for over a week Pritchard was trying to pry away Paul from the Hornets until it fell through yesterday. They are less substantiated rumors that they want to trade for Bosh or Amare. And they certainly don’t need RJ for small ball purposes, b/c (a) they prefer a big lineup may even bring J Howard back (b) they are pretty happy with their value from Cunningham and Pendergraph when forced to play small ball due to injury.

Following the draft, they have too many good-but-not-great combo guards and would like a PG, if anything. Fernandez and the Blazers are disenchanted with each other. I can tell you not to fall for the Rudy Fernandez mirage. He really disappointed them when he had a chance to step in once B-Roy got hurt, including versus Phoenix in the playoffs.

So, I really wouldn’t look to Portland at all. And honestly, I don’t think many trades out there are gonna be pivotal for us this year… to get a nice player back we’d have to give up young talent or lottery picks we don’t have, or take on a bad long-term contract. Maybe a multi-team trade would net us some great return for RJ. Next summer we’ll probably make Battier an offer. Life w/o TP is a bit tricky too, when you consider how important the PG position is, and how hard it would be to get a really nice PG to SA… I think it’s gonna be foreign PGs in SA for a long, long time.

Jim Henderson

td4life
June 25th, 2010 at 3:15 pm

A pretty sober assessment of our chances to do anything to become “true” contenders again anytime soon. I don’t disagree with much of your feedback. So I’ll just leave it at that for now. The Przybilla injury problem clouded the deal for me anyway. Oh well, I’ll see if I can find another one at some point.

We would get a 25 ppg scorer who can get his own shot, avgs over 2 spg (and is only 24 years old). Randolph has a lot of potential and could be groomed to be a defensive asset from Duncan (and is only 20 years old).

The biggest thing is we keep our core, gain a scorer to help take pressure off the big 3, and could become one of the best transition teams in the league. This would be a fun team to watch!

Jim Henderson

jk31007
June 25th, 2010 at 6:11 pm

Warriors are a ripe team to look at. However, for me there’s a few problems with the deal that you proposed. Number one, I don’t think the Warriors will move Randolph, even to move Ellis’ contract, or for RJ’s expiring contract. Number two, even though Ellis has talent, I’m not a fan of his. And number three, I see a conflict with Randolph & Blair, two young, talented PF’s vying for too few minutes. Plus, at least in year one, it would be a crowded back court: too much talent spread over two positions, and A LOT in salary at just the guard slot. In fact, we’d be over the cap with just Duncan and the three guards: Manu, TP, & Ellis.

Jim Henderson

I’ll propose another deal with Portland, but I won’t try to sell the deal. I’ll just see if any of you have any pros & cons that you want to offer.

Parker, McDyess, & Hairston

to Portland for

Miller, Przybilla**, & Batum*

Please consider how each player would benefit each team, and take a brief look at the relevant stats before you render initial judgment. And remember, we may lose Parker next year anyway. Thanks.

** Dependent on injury expected to be okay before too long
* Could be solid starter with us for YEARS

jk31007

@Jim Henderson

“Number one, I donâ€™t think the Warriors will move Randolph, even to move Ellisâ€™ contract, or for RJâ€™s expiring contract.”

The Warriors just traded Corey Maggette and a 2010 second-round draft pick for Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric.

Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric!!!

Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Both are MAJOR scrubs, even RJ can produce in Nelsons uptempo system and give you way more than these two.

Bell makes about 8 million for the next 2 years and Gadzuric make 7.2 million in the final year of his contract. RJ makes 15 million. That would be 22 million off the books between the two of them, with only Biedrins 9 mil+/year to dump. If they want cap space for next season. This would be the way to do. They building the team around Curry anyway.

Plus, I dont think it would matter if we got back Wright instead, he would give us about the same thing.

“… a conflict with Randolph & Blair, two young, talented PFâ€™s vying for too few minutes.”

I dont see a problem with backup playing time, McDyess should sit more and save his body for the playoffs. Blair can play C just like this year.

“… A LOT in salary at just the guard slot. In fact, weâ€™d be over the cap with just Duncan and the three guards: Manu, TP, & Ellis.”

We spent more this year on RJ, Manu, TP, & Duncan. Plus Manu can play SF, so it make no difference.

jk31007

@Jim Henderson / PDX trade.

Miller and Przybilla are old, we are suppose to be trying to get better (which is unlikley in any TP trade) AND younger. We would only gain Batum, so this is really Parker for Batum.

It would make more sense to trade with IND and get a young up-and-coming big in Hibbert and and wing with greater potential in George.

Any trade in which we can keep TP, Manu, Hill & Duncan would be much better for the short term.

zainn

man i actually think we’re pretty set with anderson and splitter coming over. and if we get shane battier, then im calling championship. the problem is that shane won’t get the minutes he wants, at the end of games, its always manu parker and hill at the guards unless we play small ball w/e jefferson. idk but im still happy with what we have done this summer. GO SPURS GO!

td4life

I was looking for a 3-team trade in which we give up RJ to get back Turiaf, Azubuike, and Battier… one problem is all are expiring contracts, so there’s very little incentive to offer from the Spur’s side, unless we’d sweeten it by giving up some promising value.

Another player I’d like to add to our frontcourt is Tyson Chandler, which with Battier, and another all-around talent would put us over the top… but I don’t know how the spurs could get this done.

@ Jim Henderson
Your Blazer trade favors the spurs, they would love Parker in addition to Miller… but have been thrilled by Miller so far, they also love Batum, which is part of the reason they traded away Martel. I don’t see them making such a trade w/o getting more talent back… and they would not do anything like that until the big FA dust settles.
For the sake of argument, Miller isn’t as hard to contain as Parker today, but he REALLY elevates the play of shooters, leapers and post-players… I think his window of return is not too much shorter than the younger TP, because of his style of play.
As an alternative to the Spurs giving up more long-term value than just TP, maybe we could ask for less back…
Batum was injured last year, but was showing unexpected growth offensively, leading the Blazers to wonder anticipate alot more upside as yet untapped, and see him as their solution at SF, unless they can add LBJ or maybe JJ. What about Parker? It would be a CLEAR win-now move, which I don’t think they’d do until they see who’s healthy and what they’ve got next year. Unlike Pop, they aren’t averse to mid-season trades.

I think if we don’t get a starting PG back, then we need a solid back up… Maybe Steve Blake, while turning to Manu and Hill in the 4th. Would the Blazers give up Batum for Parker? I honestly don’t know. Should the Spurs? We’d be in serious need of scoring.

@JK31007
GS really wants to part with Biedrins and Ellis, which are both terrible contracts, in their eyes and everyone else’s. If Ellis is a bad fit in GS, I don’t know why you think he’d be a good Spur. He wouldn’t. His a headache, and is getting less efficient as he ages. He’s a 3/4 of the most over-rated player I’ve ever seen, Iverson. The case against AI was made objectively plain when he traded jobs with Billups (who in contrast is one of the most under-rated of players.) But at least AI had heart. GS has clearly stated that they aren’t trade Randolf, w/o getting back major talent, he’s to young, with too much upside. But they might to get free of one of their two bad contracts… but there is no way that the RC and Pop would make the trade you suggest.

td4life

Guys, I think RJ and TP are the horses we got. The good thing about RJ being sort of a lame-duck is some young guys can really push themselves everyday. Of course, TP and RJ should both be better next year for us, and maybe we get to the second round, maybe further. Next summer, we’ll see who earned some loyalty from SA. And we can go add several talents… Battier, Jordon Hill, Azubuike, Randolf, Turiaf, Morrow, Pietrus, whomever. But, this year is mainly gonna allow our younger guys, Tiago included, to “Pound The Rock” and see what they are made of, and see to what TP brings to the floor in his FA year.

Assuming Portland doesn’t have a major upgrade, but Oden and Roy are both healthy, and that while Phoenix falls off and Utah takes a minor step back, Dallas is slightly better, Houston brings it, Sacramento makes some progress but is still a ways off, and Denver is what it is. With Tiago, we might be a 3rd-round team and a number two seed. I’d love to knock the lakers back, but the writing is on the wall.

Both are MAJOR scrubs, even RJ can produce in Nelsons up-tempo system and give you way more than these two.”

I’ve already stated previously that RJ is a good guy to dump salary with the Warriors. I’ve simply stated that Randolph is near the bottom of their list of guys they would offer up for expiring contracts.

“Blair can play C just like this year.”

I would very much be annoyed by that. Blair will be working his ass off developing his mid-range jumper this Summer. He needs to be rewarded with the confidence from the coaching staff to use it games by being given significant playing time at his natural NBA position, which is PF. Duncan should be playing more center this year, with Splitter.

“Miller and Przybilla are old, we are suppose to be trying to get better (which is unlikley in any TP trade) AND younger.”

Przybilla’s only 30, TWO years older than Parker. That’s not TOO old. Batum’s only 21, with significant upside at a position we’re weak in. Plus, he’s a great fit. Also, the two starter/rotation players we’re sending them avg. 32 years old. The three starter/rotation players that we would acquire in the deal avg. 28 years old. We would actually get younger in this deal.

td4life
June 25th, 2010 at 10:39 pm

“Your Blazer trade favors the spurs, they would love Parker in addition to Millerâ€¦ but have been thrilled by Miller so far, they also love Batum, which is part of the reason they traded away Martel. I donâ€™t see them making such a trade w/o getting more talent backâ€¦ and they would not do anything like that until the big FA dust settles.”

Parker is a CLEAR upgrade over Miller. Blazers need some more scoring, and TP can score. Word is the Blazers would love to move Miller for a younger, top-notched point. They clearly want to win NOW, for good reason: their MAIN guys are about as ready as they’re going to get (Roy, Aldridge, Camby). What better guy to lead them over the top than a 3-time all-star, 3-time champ, & FINALS MVP? Besides, Miller is 34, six years older than Parker, and there’s a lingering feeling that he’s not the right fit for Roy & the Blazers. That’s why they were apparently involved in making noise about Paul as we approached the draft. Also, Dice could give them some scoring punch & additional veteran leadership in the front court with Camby, and Hairston gives thema young & athletic guy that can play some pesky “D”, and could be a nice “situational” role player for the, with still some upside. I’m sure they like Batum, but to get Parker, the deal certainly might fly in my view, particularly since they have a competent & versatile Gomes, and a great young scorer in Babbitt with the 16th pick waiting in the wings at the SF spot.

Tom S

I say the Spurs should at least make a call to New Jersey and see what they would want for Derrick Favors’ rights. I personally don’t think he’ll be a Net anyway when the season starts. I think they really did want to trade the pick, but couldn’t find a taker. I believe they picked Derrick Favors as an insurance policy in case they don’t get Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Carlos Boozer, or one of the other big name free agents to go along with one of them.

doggydogworld

@Jim Henderson
June 25th, 2010 at 12:27 pm

“Are you looking at the redundancy & oversupply of talent on that team at the SF spot?”

Ariza, Battier and Budinger averaged 89 minutes last year so it’s silly to say they will “fight over 48 minutes”. And their draft pick, Patterson, is not a SF. He played the 5 for Kentucky until last year when they got Cousins. He’ll back up Scola at the 4.

If Houston felt the need to shed a SF they’d deal Ariza. The only way we get Battier is if he wants out. His contract expires next summer, if he tells them he’s definitely leaving they might trade him while they can still get something back. But that something back won’t be spare parts, we’d probably have to give up DeJuan or other good young talent.

Jim Henderson

doggydogworld
June 26th, 2010 at 8:18 am

“Ariza, Battier and Budinger averaged 89 minutes last year so itâ€™s silly to say they will â€œfight over 48 minutesâ€.”

They didn’t have Kevin Martin fully in mode until March, and Battier was injured for most of the rest of the season at that point (missed 15 games). Ariza & Budinger had to play some SG as a result. For both of them, their natural NBA position is SF. It will be a different story this year with all of them in the fold, healthy from the start, and with Budinger in his second year — and that kid is good! So the real log-jam at SF will begin this season without a move. And with young, high-paid, prolific scorer Martin, they’ll be little room to shift Ariza & Budinger for many minutes at the SG spot (and they also have Jermaine Taylor there). They’re not going to deal Ariza. They just signed him to a not too cheap multi-year deal. They may have been hoping that he could play their SG spot, but found out it wasn’t going to work mid-way through the season — hence the signing of Kevin Martin. The fact is, Ariza does a lot of what Battier does, yet he’s 6 years younger. Battier is the odd man out here.

“And their draft pick, Patterson, is not a SF. He played the 5 for Kentucky until last year when they got Cousins. Heâ€™ll back up Scola at the 4.”

The Rockets also have Jordan Hill & Andersen to back up Scola, plus any free agents they sign. Patterson will get some burn at PF, but he could get some time at SF as well. He’s athletic enough. He’s not ready to handle PF yet in the NBA. College is a lot different than the NBA in that regard. He’s undersized, and needs to put on some weight.

“But that something back wonâ€™t be spare parts, weâ€™d probably have to give up DeJuan or other good young talent.”

Battier’s contract’s expiring. He could be moved easier than you think. Unfortunately, I just don’t really think we have what they want, or would be willing to give it to them. I certainly wouldn’t trade Blair for him. It’s not like we have an abundance of young talent to give away to fill an immediate need, unlike OKC, for example.

rj

so jim, here’s what i’m smoking

bbq ribs

what is your suggestion of how to handle the big situation?

my posts are dumb

Jim Henderson

rj
June 26th, 2010 at 2:20 pm

I’m just saying, you can’t seriously believe that we’re going to contend with the Lakers with an aging Duncan & McDyess, and under-sized Blair, by bringing back guys like Mahinmi & Bonner. It’s just not going to happen. And it is VERY unlikely that Splitter will be enough, and it’s simply too much to ask for a European player in his first year to be our savior.

That’s why I’ve been saying, WE NEED TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT TRADE in order to contend in the next couple of years, and also, to accelerate our BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE.

Our draft picks, as usual, were a good start at our FUTURE, and both could end up being steals for where they were drafted. And that’s great, but neither is likely to in any meaningful way help us better contend during the Duncan window. Organic development of our young players is also unlikely to be quick enough to allow us to meaningfully contend during the Duncan window.

We are left with trades, and anything minor we can do in free agency, given our cap situation. Our principal pieces to trade are TP, RJ, & McDyess, although I would not rule out Manu for the right situation.

I’m going to continue to suggest possible trades on this blog. I assume, and hope, that management is seriously looking for the right opportunities to potentially deal one or more of the guys that I just mentioned. The three players that I would not trade are Duncan, Hill, & Blair. Duncan is the heart of the system, and unfortunately we’re nowhere near prepared to proceed without him. Hill & Blair are our best young talents (and hopefully Anderson). We need to build around them, hopefully by securing a young “star”, or budding “star”, but at least by upgrading the overall talent with young, talented, promising players.

What we need is a younger (which means at least 5 years younger than the average age of Duncan & McDyess, which is 35), tall (6’9″ or taller, depending on leaping ability), big (240 lbs. or more), to add to our front court (even WITH Splitter) that can effectively block/alter shots in the paint — a “rim protector”. Splitter is not a real shot-blocker. We also need a proven, veteran perimeter defender that can knock down the three at a solid-to-superior rate (37% – 44%), as well as an additional three-point shooter – role player, someone who is a “gamer”, and will not disappear in the playoffs (just one example, Derek Fisher). Ideally, that’s what we need, and the closest we can get to filling each of those needs the better. And we do have a few valuable pieces to trade to try and get them.

That’s why I’m making trade proposals like the one on this thread involving the Blazers. Not a perfect deal, but in my view, worthy of consideration (and I’ll be making more of them soon – I hope to put a half dozen or so together in the next week or so, as we kick off the FA season). It’d be nice to know when the f_ _ _ Splitter is going to make his decision!

doggydogworld

When is this “shot-blocker” going to play? Even if you cut Duncan down to 28 minutes (which I recommend) Splitter needs 30+ to learn the system and Blair will hopefully develop enough to earn 24+. That’s 82++ minutes, leaving 10-14 (less in the playoffs) for the new guy, Bonner at stretch 4 and/or small ball. Even if you zero out Bonner and small ball how much impact will a shot-blocker have in 10-14 minutes? And how much sense does it make to trade away a stud like TP for a limited minute shot blocker who DNPs in the playoffs?

td4life

Nick Batum said in a broadcasted draft day interview that TP called him this week and heard he might be headed to Portland, and that the two of them might be paired together.

Blazers have expressed strong interest in acquiring TP, they are offering Miller and Fernandez and idk what else… probably Gomes, whom they have stated officially stated they are planning on releasing.

That is not worth it from the Spurs standpoint… Fernandez is a disappointment. Would Portland give up Babbitt? Probably. And Bayless? Probably. They want Parker. If I’m the Spurs there is no way I consider it without getting Batum, who is just about untouchable according to Portland media.

Q: If we don’t trade RJ, aren’t we still likely over the cap meaning we won’t be able to spend his $15M on quality talent? Meaning we will still be stuck with cap signing exceptions next summer?

hobson13

Td4life, no way I trade Parker to Portland. We also have to keep in mind the other team and not just what the Spurs are getting. No way in hell I want to see Parker lined up next to Roy and Alderidge. That would be a very difficult lineup to beat. Miller is an over the hill PG who was signed for FAR more than what he is worth. Fernandez could be a good player, but there are no guarantees.

We can trade Parker to Minny or the Warriors who suck or to Philly or Indy who’re in a different conference, but we can’t give Parker to a team we would very likely see in the playoffs. If they offered Roy (which they won’t) then Parker can go to Portland. Otherwise the Blazers can can screw off.

Regarding your question about RJ, the answer is yes. IF his contract is allowed to just expire, then all we can do is sign a middling FA this next summer since we will still be over the cap (assuming we resign TP). If we trade him now, we will more than likely continue to be over the cap. Speaking of RJ, I think his value will skyrocket come the trade deadline. There will be some team out there (GS, Minny, Philly) who will become more desperate to unload a large contract, especially if their team is underachieving.

Perhaps I’m softening a bit on my reluctance to trade him at the deadline, but that is when we will probably get the best value. Of course by this time our season will be f*cked since it will be very difficult to integrate a new piece into the system in 3 months, but this team is going nowhere anyway as they are currently constructed. I have to believe that if we don’t make a trade in the summer months that the FO is on a two year plan and they know this next season is simply for the young guns to gain experience.

Jim Henderson

hobson13
June 26th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

“No way in hell I want to see Parker lined up next to Roy and Aldridge. That would be a very difficult lineup to beat. Miller is an over the hill PG who was signed for FAR more than what he is worth. Fernandez could be a good player, but there are no guarantees.”

I disagree. The West is going to be tough no matter what. We need to worry about what WE need to do to get better as a team NOW, AND for the future, because our “stars” are old now. The key in the deal is Batum. No Batum, no deal. Batum is a perfect fit for us at a BIG weak spot, the SF position. Still at just 21 years of age, he also has tremendous upside. This guy can defend & shoot the three. In addition, we get Przybilla, one of the best back-up centers in the league. True, he’s not a scorer, and it’s a good thing, because we don’t need a SCORER on our front line right now. Duncan can score, Blair is going to soon become a VERY good scorer (this year perhaps, if he’s given a real chance), and Splitter is a pretty good scorer as well. What we need is a tall, “do the intangibles”, BIG guy to give solid minutes in the paint, blocking/altering shots, and rebounding on both ends. Przybilla has a history of doing just that (e.g., career 36 minute bpg. of 2.7). As to Miller, he’s not “over the hill”. Career 36 minute averages: 15.2 ppg., 7.5 apg., 4.3 rpg., 1.4 spg., 46% FG. LAST year 36 minute averages, in his FIRST year in Portland: 16.5 ppg., 6.4 apg., 3.8 rpg., 1.3 spg., 45% FG. That is not a drop-off that suggests he’s “over the hill”. Granted, he’s 34, but Batum is 21, and Parker’s back-up is 24 year old George Hill. Miller’s got at least another 2-3 pretty good years. He’s a hard-working, resilient guy. Did you know, he’s had eight seasons where he’s played ALL 82 games. That’s a durable guy, with a great work-ethic. And again, with Batum, there’s a good chance we’d have a guy locked in to our 3-spot for a decade. That, along with Anderson at the SG (I think he may have been a real steal), Hill at the point (hopefully – if not, we have a couple years to get a young stud in that role – either way, Hill should be a “big” contributor long-term), and Blair at PF (who in my view, has significant upside), starts to give a look of a team that is really starting to try and “rebuild on the run”. I’m not saying it’s a perfect deal, but it’s certainly worth a serious look in my view.

I’ll be making several other trade proposals in the coming days. I welcome your comments. Hopefully we’ll find one that we all agree makes sense to both teams involved, and makes the Spurs better this year, AND in the future.

Jim Henderson

doggydogworld
June 26th, 2010 at 4:51 pm

“When is this â€œshot-blockerâ€ going to play? Even if you cut Duncan down to 28 minutes (which I recommend) Splitter needs 30+ to learn the system…”

30 mpg. “average” for the season is too much to expect from a transplanted European player in his first year with the team. I’d be very happy if we could get 25 mpg. of productive and efficient play (Scola got 24.7 mpg. his first year with the Rockets). Duncan’s minutes I would reduce further as well, down to 25 mpg., and also give him more days off. His body is wearing, and needs to be treated accordingly. If Blair can improve his mid-range jumper a bit over the Summer (I’m expecting this out of him), I’d like to see him average up to 25 mpg. this year as well. That leaves about 21 mpg. for the “shot-blocking” big, plenty of time to have an impact on games. I am also in favor of discontinuing the stretch 4 concept, not resigning Bonner, and trading McDyess for a 30 year old or less post-defender, shot-blocking big.

“And how much sense does it make to trade away a stud like TP for a limited minute shot blocker who DNPs in the playoffs?”

First of all, the proposed deal is NOT the rotation shot-blocking big for TP straight-up. It’s TP, and an aging, 36 year old big (Dice), for a perfect fit 21 yr. old SF with tremendous upside (Batum), a very good veteran PG with solid all-around career numbers (Miller), AND the 30 yr. old shot-blocking big, considered by many to be one of the best back-up centers in the league (Przybilla).

Secondly, we have to come to accept that we aren’t going to win by playing Duncan 40+ minutes per game anymore in a seven game series. It’s simply too much. He almost killed himself in the six games against Dallas last year (3 of the games over 40 minutes, 5 over 36 minutes), and then was already burnt out a bit by round two against the Suns. Instead, we need to assemble a “team” of bigs that are ALL going to be depended on, and expected to fulfill their role every night, with all of them playing between 20-30 minutes per game on a regular basis, INCLUDING during the playoffs. This is going to require more ball movement in the offense, and sound execution. The days of relying on Duncan to consistently dominate big games is over. The coaching staff & all the bigs will have to trust each other that they can get the job done, TOGETHER. And finally, we need to realize that Blair needs be a horse for this team. We need to show confidence in him, because we will not win without him. This might sound scary, but we will ultimately sink or swim depending on how much Blair has been able to improve his game over the summer, and how much confidence the coaching staff show in him by sticking with him in games, even with his inevitable mistakes. He needs regular minutes, and if that means fouling him out, so be it. He’ll learn, but you gotta let him experience it.

hobson13

Jim Henderson
June 26th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

“I disagree. The West is going to be tough no matter what.”

Yes, but you don’t want to make a trade that would make the west even tougher. While not a firm rule, it is generally accepted that you don’t trade an all star player to a conference rival on the ascent. Jim, you know this.

“In addition, we get Przybilla, one of the best back-up centers in the league.”

I agree that when Przy plays, he is a very good backup center. With that said, he has a LONG history of injury. In his 6 years in Portland, he’s only lasted the entire season once. He’s played in 76, 56, 43, 77, 82, 30 games during his Portland stint. He is completely unreliable.

“As to Miller, heâ€™s not â€œover the hillâ€.Millerâ€™s got at least another 2-3 pretty good years.”

I will temporarily concede the point of Miller not being over the hill. The stats you provided does suggest he is still playing at a high level. On top of this, his salary is probably not too bad. However, he’s 34 yrs old and has played in almost 900 NBA games. There’s absolutely no way he has 2-3 good years left. Sure his game has aged well and if he were 32, then he would be a different story. I am certain we will begin to see at decline in his game as soon as this next season. He has pulled a “Houdini” on father time, but it can’t last much longer.

My overall take on this trade suggestion: I’m indifferent on this one. The upside to Batum is neutralized by the age of Miller and the injury history of Przy. I think this trade is at best a double when we would need a home run in order to unload Parker.

I hate simply being a naysayer without any good counter trade, but I’m temporarily out of good trade ideas. I still believe some idiot GM (Kahn, etc.) will get desperate at the trade deadline and unload a good talent for an expiring contract. Houston used this strategy last year and it worked well for them. I hate to say it, but the only way for us to compete for a title this year is for us to throw together some hail mary trade. I just don’t know that our conservative FO will do that. On the bright side, RJ’s expiring should fetch us something nice if we wait it out.

Jim Henderson

“I am certain we will begin to see at decline in his game as soon as this next season. He has pulled a â€œHoudiniâ€ on father time, but it canâ€™t last much longer.”

Stranger things have happened. Look at Nash.

“I think this trade is at best a double when we would need a home run in order to unload Parker.”

It’s VERY rare to get “home runs” on trades such as these. A triple maybe, but you’re definitely going to have to rely on the intangibles that the deal ends up bringing you to get your ass home.

I agree, the Przybilla injury history is of major concern. However, he does have an expiring contract. Maybe we could get one solid year out of him, and reevaluate. I don’t love the deal, but I do think Batum is going to be really good, filling a BIG whole on our roster. And remember, we might lose Parker next year anyway.

zainn

jim, I really don’t see the portland trade a good option rigt now..we still have proven winners in parker and ginobili, and the only player I’d be willing to trade is rj. Even if we don’t, we still have enough to contend with the lakers. We have two 7 footers in duncan and splitter…never underestimate the spurs, which is what most nba analysts have learned iver the past decade. You know why? Because of our ever efficient core of duncan ginobili and parker. I’m pretty sure next season is our year to make it atleast to tbe finals and stop phil jacksons threepeat. and next year is an odd number as well. And the spurs would never take on the huge amount of money in monta ellis’s contract (whoever said that) we should wait until the trade deadline and move rj’s contract if possible. But I’m pretty sure we’ll see an improvement in his performance next season. Go spurs go!

Jim Henderson

**TRADE ALERT**

Iâ€™m proposing another deal, this time with Indiana, and again, I wonâ€™t try to really sell the deal. Iâ€™ll just see if any of any of you have any pros & cons that you want to offer.

The deal could require Parker to come to terms with a contract extension before the deal can be consummated, OR not (if they’re JUST going for max cap relief).

Please consider how each player, and their contracts, would benefit each team, and take a brief look at the relevant stats as appropriate before you render initial judgment. And remember, we may lose Parker next year anyway. Thanks.

* Note: ALL contracts in the deal expire at the end of this coming season, EXCEPT for Granger’s. He has 4 more years at about 10 mil. per year.
* Remember, the Pacers drafted the highly talented George at #10, who happens to play the same position as Granger, and has a similar type of game (though more raw, of course).
* Remember, Indiana REALLY wants and needs a top point guard to help turn the direction of this franchise.
* The deal clears MAJOR cap space for Indy in 2011 – they’ll have NOBODY under contract for more than 2.5 million in 2011 (except perhaps George – he might qualify for a bit more as a rookie contract drafted at #10, and also Parker, if they extend Parker as a part of the deal).
* Remember, there’s ALWAYS pros & cons for both teams in any deal.

Okay now, help me identify the STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES of the deal from the perspective of BOTH teams. Thanks.

Sorry, zainn, but we’re not going to even make it to the Western Finals with the status quo in place; that is, without a significant trade. If we don’t make this type of trade, you’ll see.

td4life

hobson13
June 26th, 2010 at 7:45 pm

Jim Henderson
June 26th, 2010 at 8:50 pm

I agree EXACTLY with everything hobson13 wrote in reaction to my post about the current TP rumours going on in Portland… with the exception of his analysis of Miller. Miller transformed Philly, and carried them in the playoffs, and is known to be as bulletproof as Henderson described. He’s also an extremely good true PG, and we’ve also got Manu and Hill to run the point. He’d be a better mentor to Hill than Tony, and his window is at least as long as TD’s. HOWEVER…

Jim, the deal Portland is talking about is shipping out Fernandez, I wondered if the Spurs would send Bayless and Babbitt instead, b/c we could use young assets to entice someone like Houston to take RJ’s expiring for our solution at SF. But as we both have said, Batum is the only piece we would take back… so we can stop talking about Portland, b/c they see him as a piece of their core for 10 years, he improves every year, and they think of him as Scottie Pippen.

It is common knowledge true that you don’t trade stars to make your conference rivals better. However, both teams may have to make very tough decisions and consider EVERYTHING, as they otherwise have a very big gap to close versus LA. If a Portland trade netted us Batum, and gave us assets to help us move RJ this summer, we would have to consider it. But it won’t net us Batum.

To wit, I previously wrote:
“So, I really wouldnâ€™t look to Portland at all. ”
And
“Guys, I think RJ and TP are the horses we got. […] Of course, TP and RJ should both be better for us next year, and maybe we get to the second round [..] But, this season is mainly gonna allow our younger guys, Tiago included, to â€œPound The Rockâ€ and see what they are made of, and see to what TP brings to the floor in his FA year.”
Thus, hobson13 is correct:
“I have to believe that if we donâ€™t make a trade in the summer months that the FO is on a two year plan and they know this next season is simply for the young guns to gain experience.”
and that a midseason trade would only underscore that outlook.

So plan A is to move RJ before the preseason, an plan B is to make Holt some money in with another trip to the playoffs while developing the young guys: I do believe TP will have a terrific overall season, and that Tiago will be a clearly above average NBA starting center.

td4life

I can conceive of only one trade proposal that makes us contenders in the next two years.

Let me preface it by saying…
* I think the two biggest pieces we need to truly contend are a solid all-around two-way player at SF, or possibly G. And an unbeatable big-man rotation. (I’m not really in favor of substitution specialists, be they shooters, defenders, or shot-blockers. The possible exception are smart, physical, high-motor guys that can really play. I want 10 studs in our rotation).
* The following trade assumes that Tyson Chandler can give us a very close approximation of what he did in New Orleans and Chicago. If the FO deems that he can’t be that, then no deal.
* To unload Biedrins, GS should have to sacrifice a piece that we need, AND a chip that we use as a subsequent trade enticement.
* Detroit needs defense down low to anchor the play and development of Villanova and/or Monroe. Tying up money in a seven footer is a better move than their other expensive contracts. In general, (and not surprisingly!) they are disappointed in their expensive assets of Gordon, Villanova, and also Hamilton, and should be willing to rebuild and get out from under some of those (4 year) contracts. To take on Biedrins, they should insist on giving up more cap space than they are taking back, as much as is allowed. But being under the cap, Detroit also could take back more (shorter-term/expiring) contract money than they send out in longer-term contract money.
* Charlotte still desperately needs more scoring. By extending an offer to T Thomas, they are not in need of too many more defensive Bigs, and wouldn’t need FC Chandler… but then again it’s Larry Brown so who knows, maybe they’d want a true C, such as Biedrins.

So…

1) We send GS RJ for Biedrins, Azubuike, and a 3rd player that will be of value to Charlotte, Houston, or Detroit. Azubuike becomes our probable starting SF, giving us much of what RJ was suppossed to. We retain Hill, TP, Manu, and Anderson.

2) We acquire Chandler (for a low-risk one year?) and Detroit gets Biedrins (and possibly an additional shorter contract, especially if Charlotte asks for Maxiell). Charlotte gets one of Detriot’s SGs, plus either Maxiell, Villanova, or Wilcox’s expiring. Either Detroit or Charlotte could get the 3rd player which San Antonio acquired from GS, or Hairston, etc.

Step 2 above is one scenario; I think it’s also possible that other teams may have a need for Biedrins are Charlotte, Toronto, Atlanta, or maybe Houston. Of course, they could deal with GS directly. But we are smarter, we could swoop in first, and being smarter, we can sell deals that GS’s Larry Riley cannot think strait about. Jordon and Dumars are also not very good GMs.

First, about a few comments above, there’s a line that say, “Your comment is awaiting moderation”. That’s my comment from last night. I have no idea why it’s taking so long to post. It’s another proposed trade, this time with Indiana. Hopefully it shows up at some point in the next 24 hours.

On the Portland deal: There’s no way Portland is AS HIGH on Batum as you suggest. He’s nowhere near the Scottie Pippen category, and it’s a BIG jump to even consider projecting for him that much upside. Pippen’s a top-50 player, ALL-TIME. Plus, they’re simply different players: Batum’s a spot-up shooter, not great off the dribble, particularly in half-court sets; Scottie was always a good play-maker & rebounder; that’s not Batum’s strengths. Batum can be a very good player, but a top-50 player? That’s VERY unlikely; he is likely to be a very good player, but he may not even ever be an all-star. An occasional all-star is his ceiling, in my view.

On your trade proposal:

Interesting idea. I’m not too good at following, and properly evaluating three-team trades. Obviously three-team trades are harder to get done. It’s like coming to an agreement when you were kids with two other brothers rather than just one.

I do have some of questions/comments for you:

(1) Chandler has had an injury-plagued background. Isn’t that a concern?
(2) I believe Chandler has opted out of his contract of 11.7 mil. per. It could be a tough task to find a trade partner under such conditions, don’t you think?
(3) To me, Biedrins wouldn’t solve Charlotte’s problems by a long shot. Thus, I would think they’d rather get in position to clear contracts rather than get saddled for 9 million per over 4 years.
(4) Seems to me that Detroit is already locked into too many questionable long-term deals (Villanueva, Maxiel, Hamilton, Gordon). They can’t afford for another one to be a costly one, and Biedrins is clearly a gamble at this point. I would try to blow that team up if I were them. It would be hard to get rid of Gordon & Hamilton (their longest/biggest deals), but every other larger type deal should go, I would think. By the way, Wilcox & Maxiell do not have expiring deals.
(5) how did Dorrell Wright show up on our new team out of all this?

Also, you and Hobson seem resigned to having TP next year. Why? I think we still need to actively look at trading him for the right pieces. We may not be able to keep him next year anyway, so we need to be proactive now, or the wheels are going to eventually fall off this Spurs machine. We don’t want to be desperate, but there are options out there, and some unsolicited interest as well.

Jim Henderson

**TRADE ALERT**

Iâ€™m proposing another deal, this time with Charlotte, but again, I wonâ€™t try to sell the deal. Iâ€™ll just see if any of you have any pros & cons that you want to offer.

*WARNING*

This is a Multi-Player deal: If these kinds of deals are too complicated for your taste, just pass on it!

TP, RJ, McDyess, & Hairston

to Charlotte for

Wallace, Agustine, Diaw, & Diop

Please consider how each player, and the contract situation, would benefit (or not benefit) each team, and take a brief look at the relevant stats, as appropriate, before rendering initial judgment. And remember, we may not be able to keep Parker next year anyway. Thanks.

A couple basic things to consider:

* Charlotte desperately needs a scorer, and an experienced all-star point guard to run that team. Felton just won’t cut it (he’s a FA).
* Charlotte could get themselves in position to sign at least two star free agents in the 2011 season by doing this deal (two if Parker resigned – and remember, they will still have Steven Jackson as well – probably three FA’s if they don’t resign Parker). They would be freeing up an additional 15 mil by us absorbing Diop & Wallace’s contracts for 2011. Without resigning Parker (with just Steven Jackson there), as it stands now, they would have just 7.6 million per year under contract on their roster. A sampling of the FA’s that are expected to be on the market next year:

Charlotte needs to make moves to get themselves in position to challenge in the east over the next 2-3 years. They need a reshuffle in my view. We need to add talent at our weakest links.

zainn

jim, we saw last season that by adding new pieces to our roster it takes a long time for players to find their roles on the team. you can’t just assume that by trading tony, everything is going to be all right. with the charlotte trade, dj augustin is nothing compared to tony parker, and hill is really not ready to take the reins right now. PASS

Jim Henderson

**TRADE ALERT**

Iâ€™m proposing another deal, this time with Sacramento, but again, I wonâ€™t try to sell the deal. Iâ€™ll just see if any of you have any pros & cons that you want to offer.

RJ & Hairston to

Sacramento for

Dalembert & Donte Greene

Please consider how each player, and the contract situation, would benefit (or not benefit) each team, and take a brief look at the relevant stats, as appropriate, before rendering initial judgment. And remember, we may not be able to keep Parker next year anyway. Thanks.

A few basic things to consider:

* Kings never had Dalembert in their long-term plans. They acquired him for his expiring deal.
* The Kings are over-stocked at center: Dalembert, Thompson, Cousins, & Whiteside.
* Kings need a relatively cheap, defensive-minded, back-up SG, and a bit more cap space for 2011, because they have FOUR important player/contracts coming up in 2011 that are expiring, and significant raises will be required to keep them: Evans, Thompson, Caspi, & Landry.
* RJ’s/Hairston’s expiring deals would give them an additional 3-4 million in cap space for 2011.

Jim Henderson

Delete this line from previous comment: “And remember, we may not be able to keep Parker next year anyway.”

Obviously, Parker is not in this deal. Thanks.

td4life

@Jim Henderson

I realize that Batum and Pippen have different games. However, there are VERY few players the Blazers would give up Batum for at this point in his career. I’ll leave it at that. (By the way, I live in Portland, and I hear ALOT about Batum from Blazers employees on the radio. They are much more committed to him than Aldridge. Justifiably, I think.)

Regarding Tony Parker:
I wasn’t addressing trading him because with the right roster we wouldn’t need to, though I am open to it But, I don’t see many ways to upgrade. We would need a reliable go-to scorer good for an automatic 16-21ppg, and/or a top-notch play-maker. I don’t like TP long-term and never have. But this year he’ll continue to be a tough matchup for other teams as a scorer, and we need all the tough matchups we can get.
Andre Miller makes other players much better. His impact on AI2 and Oden (also Batum) were unmatched. I don’t see us getting an excellent PG through a trade. As I’ve said in a previous post, expect the Parker, Udrih, Dragic, DeColo trend to continue for awhile.

Dorell Wright: I was just taking a stab at adding a promising player with our Bi-Annual exception.

I understand your concerns about Chandler, and briefly addressed them in my post. I proposed him really for one reason only, there are very few players that we can add to this team that put us over, a best-case Chandler is one of them. With his quickness and defense, we would have a three-headed monster up front that would be championship caliber. If the FO determines he has not recovered, after flying out and meeting with him, then, as I said, no deal. I was imagining he doesn’t opt out, but a sign and trade could work here as well. This is really a clutching at straws thing, I admit. But I would be very excited about a healthy TC.
Rather than bogging this down any further and explaining why a team such as Detroit could see untapped value in a defensive-minded center, while shedding some salary down the line and sending scoring support to Charlotte, I’ll just admit that I’m really dreaming here. Once again, I think we are stuck with the guys we have. Dammit.

I don’t see how we move RJ to get any significant help this year without sweetening it with chips I don’t know if we’d let go of. Most RJ deals, especially at the deadline, won’t help us this year, but could help us down the line. And that’s about all I can say.

Jim Henderson

zainn
June 27th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

“you canâ€™t just assume that by trading tony, everything is going to be all right.”

I’m not making that assumption at all. However, in my view the deal gives us a chance. And by the way, don’t make the assumption that all multi-player trades take YEARS to effectively assimilate. Look at what Boston did in 2007-2008: they added several players: Garnett, Allen, Posey, G. Davis, P.J. Brown, and gave up several players: A. Jefferson, Delonte West, W. Szerzebiak, R. Gomes, among others, and still won the championship in their very first year. Our problems last year go WAY beyond assimilation issues.

“with the charlotte trade, dj augustin is nothing compared to tony parker, and hill is really not ready to take the reins right now.”

And RJ is no Gerald Wallace either. What’s your point? The fact is, Augustin is a skilled, young point guard that can hit the three, and would be a more than adequate complement to Manu, Hill, & Anderson, particularly for the privilege of getting GERALD WALLACE ON OUR TEAM (all-defensive 1st team last year, by the way!).

No offense, but for those of you that just have a CLOSED mind on the possibility of dealing Tony Parker, you might as well not bother getting involved in the discussion.

In my view, that’s a VERY competitive team with a FUTURE that’s looking better.

Jim Henderson

td4life
June 27th, 2010 at 12:53 pm

“Regarding Tony Parker:
I wasnâ€™t addressing trading him because with the right roster we wouldnâ€™t need to, though I am open to it But, I donâ€™t see many ways to upgrade. We would need a reliable go-to scorer good for an automatic 16-21ppg, and/or a top-notch play-maker.”

See the recently proposed trade with Charlotte on this thread, and the Pacer one as well, if it ever shows up.

“I donâ€™t see how we move RJ to get any significant help this year without sweetening it with chips I donâ€™t know if weâ€™d let go of. Most RJ deals, especially at the deadline, wonâ€™t help us this year, but could help us down the line. And thatâ€™s about all I can say.”

In my view, the RJ deal to the Kings (see recent post) helps our team NEXT year, and “possibly” for the future. Dalembert can defend & protect the rim, and Donte Greene CAN play, is young, with upside, and yet is somewhat superfluous in Sacramento because they have the young & talented Casspi who’s going to hog most of the minutes at SF.

lvmainman

@ Jim Henderson,

If the Spurs last Nov couldn’t see the benefits of trading Bonner and Mason for Stephen Jackson, why are they now going to do something beneficial? Remember Bonner and Mason were expiring contracts and players that won’t be back this year and the Spurs got nothing in return.

Stephen Jackson knows the Spurs system. He won a championship with the Spurs, due to his clutch 3 4th qtr 3ptr’s in game 6 vs. the Nets.

Warriors traded Stephen Jackson straight up for Vladimir Radmanvic basically. (Raja Bell told teams he couldn’t play last year and needed wrist surgery).

Spurs had Bobby Jones on a 10 day contract but didn’t want to develop him? Bobby Jones according to his college coach shut down BRANDON ROY and NATE WASHINGTON in practice. But Mahinmi, Hairston, Gee, are worth 3 yr development plans? http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bobby-Jones-351/

I agree the Spurs need a bold move, but I don’t believe in their willingness to do so. Kicking Ratliff, Finley, and Haislip to the curb says they’re gun shy due to the Jefferson fiasco.

Why are the Spurs going to be bold now? Why are the Spurs going to be proactive now?

Tyler

@lvmainman

Seriously, Stephen Jackson wasn’t available until after the start of the season, and by that time, we already had Jefferson on board. Acquiring Jackson wasn’t an option at that time.

td4life

Henderson-

I believe Sacramento would rather have one year of Dalembert and Green than one year of RJ and Hairston.
Dalembert can push the development of their other bigs (Whiteside is years away anyway) and possibly re-sign if those other guys don’t develop ahead of schedule. He can also play alongside those other younger guys in the front court.

Regarding any proposed deals of expirings for other expirings, the Spurs are probably gonna have to part with something of value (a future first rounder at least). Or take on a smaller, longer contract of maybe a so-so talent, just to net us the trade exception.

Everyone is missing the steal of the draft. Look up Ryan Richards on YouTube. He was the concensus player of day 1 and really turned some heads with his athleticism. I also took a look at some footage of him on YouTube. Raw but he is only 19 and is pushing players around. He goes up strong and looks to dunk like a thicker version of stoudemire. Then after he dunks on someone, he looks to push them out of the way and run down the court. He is funadmentally sound on the block and has a REALLY nice shot from about 20 feet. I even saw footage of him running the fast break and the man has a handle, the likes of Odom in LA.
If Splitter doesn’t sign, I say screw him and bring this guy Richards over right now. I think he could learn alot behind Tim. And he has made it clear to all that he wants to come over NOW not in a few years. If they stash him in Europe, one of those teams are going to find him and sign him to a longer term contract and we will be in the Splitter dilemma all over again. Hell, he has to give us more than Bonner did in the playoffs. Isn’t that what makes Pop worth the money he makes, his ability to coach young talent? Ala, Parker, Hill and Blair (off course with the preface that he has talent to work with)…

Go Spurs Go!!

Jim Henderson

This guy just opted out of his meager contract with the Heat. If we end up not trading anybody to get another shot-blocking big, stealing this guy away from Miami would be a good idea. He’s likely to go cheap, he’s a LATE bloomer, and this guy PROTECTS THE RIM.

I’d be in favor of inviting Bobby Jones to camp to try out for the team. Even if he has to spend some time in Austin, it’s worth a shot. He sounds like the type of defensive player that will rub off on other teammates, and that’s what we need. Plus, he’d be cheap. As long as there’s not some sort of character/personal problems associated with this guy, we need to get Pop on the phone on this one! He could be just one of those guys that has just fallen through the cracks. I know he’s had some consistency issues with his shooting over the years, but he did make his threes at a 39% rate in the Italian League this past year. His defense alone could be worth 10-15 mpg. We definitely need to step up the volume on “D” this year. That’s the only reason Boston got so far this past season.